by Arthur Crabtree » Mon Mar 16, 2015 8:43 pm
This is the only tie people seem to be divided on. The game without an underdog. But it's tempting to think that there will be an upset elsewhere, somewhere along the line.
Bangladesh. Could it be that in years to come, BD will be seen to have come of age in this competition, as SL did in 96? They have a well balanced bowling attack, a couple of X factor batters, and the hitherto underrated Mahmudullah...
But no, hard to see. It would be a great story, but India have all those virtues, and more.
Pakistan. Not even going to imagine this one. Australia are the biggest favourites of the round. They are at home, where they are frightening efficient. The biggest danger for the co-hosts doesn't come from a broken Pakistan team, but from me, a lone operator on a cracked netbook in a small house on the outskirts of a middle sized British city, jinxing them. So Pakistan? No.
West Indies. If the giant is going to be killed anywhere it will be here. A few NZ players have been more of less non functional, and one half of the team is carrying the other half. Southee has gone two games without swing. An early loss of McCullum would rob NZ of 50 runs from their total. Sometimes WI start the motor and it fires. More often it doesn't. But, I put my X here.
And SAvSL? I just think SL are more likely to function on any given day.
So, SL, Aus, India and... well, NZ, because it's only rarely that the planets align.
I always say that everybody's right.